Computing simulated endolymphatic flow thermodynamics during the caloric test using normal and hydropic duct models

Abstract

Conclusion: The obtained simulations support the underlying hypothesis that the hydrostatic caloric drive is dissipated by local convective flow in a hydropic duct.

Objective: To develop a computerized model to simulate and predict the internal fluid thermodynamic behavior within both normal and hydropic horizontal ducts.

Methods: This study used a computational fluid dynamics software to simulate the effects of cooling and warming of two geometrical models representing normal and hydropic ducts of one semicircular horizontal canal during 120 s.

Results: Temperature maps, vorticity, and velocity fields were successfully obtained to characterize the endolymphatic flow during the caloric test in the developed models. In the normal semicircular canal, a well-defined endolymphatic linear flow was obtained, this flow has an opposite direction depending only on the cooling or warming condition of the simulation. For the hydropic model a non-effective endolymphatic flow was predicted; in this model the velocity and vorticity fields show a non-linear flow, with some vortices formed inside the hydropic duct.

Keywords:

• Caloric test
• simulation
• hydrops
• Meniere
• turbulence flow
• vortices
• computational fluid dynamics
• endolymph
• thermodynamics

Acknowledgments

The authors of this study want to thank to Professor Ian Curthoys for his support and encouragement that have driven this study since its very early stages.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.